New political satire targets Bush

A new political satire, whose central character is based upon US President, George Bush, has debuted

15:01 12 September 2004

A new political satire, whose central character is based upon US President, George Bush, has debuted at the Toronto Film Festival.

John Sayles' new film, "Silver City" follows the fortunes of a grammatically challenged gubernatorial candidate from Colorado, whose bid for governorship is supported by his father, a powerful US senator.

The film evolves from a political satire into a murder mystery, when a body is found while the hapless candidate, Dickie Pilager, is filming a campaign ad.

The director admits that there are distinct similarities between Pilager, who is played by Chris Cooper and the current president.

"The character is very much based on George W. Bush when he first ran for governor of Texas", said Sayles.

A critic of George Bush, Sayles rushed production in order to ensure that the film reached cinemas ahead of the November presidential election. The film debuted on the third anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, the defining moment in George Bush's presidency.

The director's motive for making the film seems to have been influenced by what he sees as the deterioration of "the political and cultural conversation in the United States."

"There's a real pressure not to raise your voice, not to question what's going on internationally or in the country itself," lamented Sayles.